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"The State House, or 'the
hub of the solar system' according to
Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes, is quite impressive. The building stands on the summit of
Beacon Hill, on a lot which had been John Hancock's cow pasture. The cornerstone was laid in 1795, and the oration was delivered by Governor John Adams. The customary Masonic ceremonies were conducted by Paul Revere, grand master. The south side was added in 1852, and the dome was gilded
gold in 1874. The building was first occupied by the 'Great and General Court' in 1798, when the
Old
State House was abandoned. Bronze statues of Horace Mann by Emma Stebbins, and of Daniel Webster by Hiram Powers, and two
fountains, ornament the terrace in front of the building. The old front entrance is reached by succession of stone terraces from Beacon Street, and leads into the Doric
Hall. The adjacent hall for many years contained the remnants of the flags carried by Massachusetts soldiers in the civil war.
Thomas Ball's marble statue of
Governor John Andrew is considered a great work of artistic merit;
and Chantrey's statue of
Washington, wrapped by a military cloak, should be noticed. In Doric Hall are also busts of Samuel Adams, Abraham Lincoln, Charles Sumner, and Henry Wilson.
The Hall of Representatives, in the center of the building, is the largest room in the building, and accommodates 500 people. Visitors
may be admitted to the gallery during the sessions. The ancient Sacred Cod
still hangs over the visitors gallery, an emblem of the bygone importance of the cod to the State. The same fish hanged in the
Old State House, but was taken down, and not restored until after the peace.
Next to the State House, until 1863, stood the
home of patriot
John Hancock, making
this part of Beacon Street even more historic. A bronze plaque is
mounted on a column at the old west gate, marking the location of the former
entrance to the home.
MORE PHOTOS
Contact Information
Phone Number: 617.727.3676
Web Address: www.state.ma.us/sec/trs
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